Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-12-15

long scratch. 1t was fresh scratch
for the marks of blood still fingered
My eyes dropped to the stranger
right leg. and saw that his knee wa
damp and soiled. He had certainl!
fallen on the ground. 1 might have
reasoned that he had met with very
common accident, but l didn't. l sait
to myself:
.'Old fellow. you have locked horns
with somebody to get mussed up thi:
way. 1t is scrape you don't want
known, for you keep throwing anxiou:
glances at me. If it was only an &C.
cident you'd get up and fix that col
lar, growl little over the spot on your
knee, and cuss the railroad company
for having a depot platform unpro-
tected by railing at the ends. Won.
der what you've got in that sachel?
A traveller with few clothes in a
sachel does not have to keep his foot on
it while everybody around him is asleep.
You are no cucumber, old fellow, and
you've got something in there worth
watching. I'll try little trick on
YOU"
l had my right hand in my pocket.
l carefully worked my knife out, and
as it fell to the floor l gave start.
woke up, and bent down to look for it.
As moved my hand toward his feet
he quickly bent down and moved the
sachel into the aisle. Then was sat
isfied that my surmises were right
Was he a burglar. and did the sachel
contain his kit? 1t was more probable
that he was just returning from an ex-
petition to the country, and that the
sachel was full of plumber. l was
perfectly satisfied as to my man, and l
made up my mind to have him arrested
as suspicious character as soon as we
reached the city. That was what did
take place. only. as there were no Off
GERS about the depot as we arrived, l had
to take the fellow myself. I let HIM
reach the door of the depot, and then
put my hand on his shoulder. He
dropped the sachel, made q bolt, but
fortunately. he ran plump against p
hackman who was entering, and both
were upset. Before he could get up
had him nipped. On the way to the
station house, and speaking for the
first time. he asked:
"How did you know it was me?"
ooh. easily enough" l answered.
"Well, curse him. he didn't act
square with me, or it would never
have come to this"
l had no idea to what he referred;
but seeing that he was ready to talk,
and being anxious to take advantage
of the moment, l asked:
'Do you think he is dead?''
Dead rs herring, and the old
woman with him. However, they
can't punish me any more for two
than for one. l was after my own,
and when they wouldn't give it to me
l determined to take ALL"
What weapon did you use?"
Got the axe from the back yard"
"And when you had finished off the
old couple you robbed the house. eh?"
well. took what l wanted, and if
l hadn't been the biggest fool on earth
you wouldn't have nabbed me-
"How?'
why, boarding the train at that
little station. 1t was the act of Il luna
tic, but after left. the farmhouse l
got frightened. Iran across the fields.
fell down. imagined that l was pur
sued, and bore off to the station and
hoisted the signal myself for the train
to stop. suppose Rider gave you the
tip and put you onto me?"
Eyes"
''Well. I'll kill him on sight. That
is" with a little laugh. Il will if l get
the chance"
knew Rider to be a Milwaukee
gambler and a hard case. but was COM
pletely in the dark as to what crime
my prisoner had committed. 1t was
probably a murder, and near the sta
ton where he got on, and from his
/ inferred that it was an
old couple. He had pumped himself.
and it was certain that l had made a
big catch. When we reached the sta
ton. however, my troubles began.
There is always an ill-feeling between
police and private detectives. This
feeling comes almost entirely from the |
police. They look upon the private
detective as sort of guerilla, ready to |
break up the happiest homes or to sell |
out to the highest bidder. This. UNI
is true in many cases, but /
not in all. AS l entered with the
prisoner the captain in charge roughly
by what right l had made
IN arrest.
1.-The right which any man has to
arrest murderer" I replied.
"A murderer? Bosh! Where did YOU
get him?"
'.At the depot"
''Well. l shan't lock him up. Let's
zee Ito the MANI, but your face is IA
niliar to me-"
IL am Charley Short bartender in